Pick for musical instruments



(No Model.)

H. AOKERMANN.

PICK FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

No. 593,072. Patented Nova 2,1897.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT Qrmcn.

HERMANN AOKERMANN, OF MARYSVILLE, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR TO THE C. F.ZIMMERMANN COMPANY, OF DOLGEVILLE, NEW YORK.

PICK FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,072, dated November2, 1897.

Application filed January 29, 1897. Serial No. 621,177. (NomodeL) To(all whmn it nanny concern:

Be it known that I, HERMANN ACKER- MANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Marysville, in the county of Marshall and State of Kansas,have invented new and useful Improvements in Picks for MusicalInstruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stringed musical instruments, such as harps,citherns, and the like; and the object of the present invention is toprovide novel, simple, efficient, and economical pick mechanism forpicking the strings. This object is accomplished in the manner and bythe means hereinafter de scribed and claimed, reference being made tothe accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a sectional elevation ofa portion of a stringed musical instrument pro vided with my invention,and Fig. 2 is a de tail transverse sectional view of the same.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use myinvention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to thedrawings, wherein- The numeral 1 indicates a horizontal bar or frameforming part of a stringed musical instrument and located above thestrings 2. The bar or frame is composed of two side parts, (best seen inFig. 2,) between which are arranged in inclined planes a plurality ofpick-bars 3, which are guided through the medium of transverseguide-pins 7 near the lower ends of the pick-bars. The upper ends ofthese bars are pivoted, as at 6, to the central portions offinger-levers 4, having one extremity pivoted to the bar or frame 1, asat 5. The finger-levers normally stand in inclined planes directly thereverse of the inclined planes in which the pick-bars normally stand insuch manner that by depressing the finger-levers the pick-bars will becaused to move downward in inclined planes. The lower ends of thepick-bars are provided with picking-fingers 9, pivoted to the bars, asat 8, and constructed to engage and operate the strings when the barsare depressed and to freely pass by the strings when the bars areelevated. The pick-bars are individually engaged with and operated byindependent springs 10, of suitable construction, which serve to elevatethe bars after they have been depressed by the fingenlevers.

The normal position of the finger-levers is inclined, and as they arepivoted to the inclined pick-bars it is possible to conveniently sweepthe fingers over the finger-levers and thus operate the pick-bars tovibrate the strings. Inasmuch as the pick-bars are independently movablethrough the medium of their respective inclined finger-levers, it ispossible to execute various changes or movements in playing theinstrument.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is The combination withthe bar or frame, and the strings, of a-stringed musical instrument, ofa plurality of pick-bars extending in' inclined planes in the bar orframe, pickingfingers pivoted to the lower ends of the pickbars, fingerlevers extending in inclined planes the reverse of the pick-bars, andpivoted to the bar or frame and to the pick-bars, and springs acting toelevate the pick-bars after they have been depressed by swinging thefinger-levers, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in-the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HERMANN AOKERMANN. 'VVitnesses:

J. A. BRoUGHrEN, MARION P. BROUGHTEN.

